Human Fly (comics)

Human Fly
Cover to Amazing Spider-Man Annual #10, 1976. Pencils by Gil Kane, inks by John Romita.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #10 (1976)
Created by	Len Wein (writer) Bill Mantlo (writer) Gil Kane (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Richard Deacon
Team affiliations	Savage Six Sinister Sixteen
Notable aliases	Fly
Abilities	Superhuman strength and agility Flight via sharp wings Wall-crawling Compound eyes Acid vomit

Human Fly
Cover to issue #1 of The Human Fly, September 1977. Art by Al Milgrom.
Publication information
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	The Human Fly #1 (September 1977)
Created by	Bill Mantlo
In-story information
Abilities	Master aerialist, stuntman, hand to hand combatant and gymnast Enhanced endurance Use of specialized gadgets

The Human Fly is the name of two fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. One is a super-villain that was an occasional antagonist of Spider-Man, and the other a superhero. Additionally, Human Fly was the title of a short-lived series in the late 1950s reprinting some of Fox's Blue Beetle strips from the 1940s. It was published by Super Comics.

The Human Fly first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #10 (1976), and was created by Len Wein, Bill Mantlo, and Gil Kane. The character subsequently appears in The Amazing Spider-Man #192–193 (May–June 1979), Spider-Woman #30 (September 1980), Moon Knight #35 (January 1984), Spectacular Spider-Man #86 (January 1984), and Amazing Spider-Man #276 (May 1986), in which he was killed by the Scourge of the Underworld. The story of the Fly in Spectacular Spider-Man #86 was drawn by Fred Hembeck, who (in his personal caricature form) had a guest appearance in that particular issue. The Fly received an entry in the original Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #4, and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man #1 (2005).

The superhero version of Human Fly starred in Marvel Comics' The Human Fly #1–19 (September 1977 – March 1979).

Richard Deacon, born in Newark, New Jersey, was a small-time criminal who was shot by the police and left for dead after an unsuccessful kidnapping attempt, which was foiled by Spider-Man. Stumbling into the laboratory of Dr. Harlan Stillwell (whose brother Farley Stillwell created the Scorpion for J. Jonah Jameson), Deacon coerces the scientist into saving his life. Overhearing an offer Jameson made with Stillwell to fund the creation of a new superhero, Deacon insists he be the subject of the experiment. Stillwell imprints the genetic coding of a common fly onto Deacon, empowering him and healing him of his bullet wounds. Deacon then kills Harlan Stillwell and uses his newfound powers to further his criminal ambitions. He first uses Jameson as bait to get revenge on Spider-Man. Due to his inexperience, the Fly is no match for him and is defeated.